6 week check

[Babyshine2020]

I've just gone to book my six week post natal check and I've been told that it's going to be a phone call.. surely that's a waste?

Am I not meant to be physically checked?
I understand due to covid etc but I've never had my stitches checked since the birth, my community midwife wouldn't check then when I said they were sore & when I mentioned a lump she presumed it was where they tied the stitches off... but a presumption is a lot different to actually knowing

In posted too early!

But is this normal now?
What's meant to happen at this six week check?
I had low iron due to blood loss and pre-eclampsia.. do I but need to be checked? Blood test etc

I haven't had any visitors since around day 10

Gosh that’s shit.

Iron wise- 6 weeks is a bit early for it to have changed much so mine didn’t take my blood then anyway they said to book bloods about 2 months after my check.

They should check the babies heart for a murmur, measure their head circumference, weigh them, generally do a whole check over.

You wise- was usually their after thought, my stitches were sore so they looked st those when I asked.

Lots of things can be done on the phone but not a 6 week review.

Pooh just thought, unless they will do the 6 weeks review when they do their jabs at 8 weeks- this happened to my sister, they combined the 2 appointments so she saw doc who did the review then straight to nurse who did the jan

my community midwife wouldn't check then

Why not? They should!

Makes me so angry

My midwives asked if I wanted mine checked but it wasn't sore so nobody ever looked at mine. If your worried it's an infection or anything call the gp.

That's crap! IME experience it's more about the baby than you, but it definitely can't be done over the phone!

Ah ok, I was under the impression I had a 6 week check where they checked everything was ok and then baby would have her checks at 8 weeks and her jabs.

I'm not worried about an infection or anything, and mentally I feel fine, it's more my BP (I didn't develop preeclampsia until I went into labour, my BP had always been fine) and the iron tablets aren't agreeing with my gut but I don't want to stop them too early and put more pressure on my body.

I guess I just expected to see somebody, especially when our practice are still seeing patients when needed and all our Midwife's and health visitors are doing home visits and clinics.

iron tablets aren't agreeing with my gut

I would call GP and request liquid iron, they don’t offer it routinely as I think it’s more expensive but it’s so much more gentle on the gut!

The baby has their check and vaccinations at 8 weeks at our practice. At the same time we ask the mother if they have any concerns eg mood, stitches, breasts, feeding and future contraception plans. If anything needs looking at we do it then and there, we also plan blood pressure, blood sugar and /or haemoglibin checks as required. Covid hasn't changed things for us.

The aftercare is appalling ! My 6 week check was a call off a GP to ask if “ I’m ok “ ... baring in mind my stitches broke down, I haemorrhaged & had mega low iron so I assumed that both would be checked ??!! Luckily my midwife checked my stitches in the beginning. My baby hasn’t been seen for his check. After I mentioned it to my HV (over the phone as she isn’t visiting either) she said both mum & baby should be having a face to face check. I’m actually shocked at the lack of aftercare.

At my 6 week check up 3 years ago prior to covid it was face to face but was basically asked if I had anything they wanted to check, I'd stitches etc and when I said no they left it at that so I think they won't have any problems doing it over the phone now. I was a bit shocked I wasn't examined internally as routine tbh but it seems they don't really want to check if they don't need to xx

@sarahc336 this is what I thought would happen, they'd just check everything has gone back to normal catch anything we wouldn't know to check early before it becomes a problem.

It's just a shock to me they're doing it via the phone when the rest of the post natal care is still business as usual

Hi op

I had my baby at the end of March so my 6 week check was early may - much stricter national lockdown time and it was face to face. I’d had a 3rd degree tear and had been advised by a friend that practice during Covid was just to ask questions and have the contraception chat, so I went braced to insist someone checked my undercarriage but was pleasantly surprised when the doctor heard my birth story and said “well with your permission I’d like to take a look and make sure everything is healing well?”

If they don’t offer it, ask for it, if they refuse then escalate. So long as you are not Covid symptomatic, wear a mask and perhaps request ahead of the appt to ensure they allow time and possibly staffing requirement and space for a chaperone to do a physical exam then there should be no reason you can’t have it checked.